Praying Mantis Devouring Her Mate
Mantises are fascinating insects closely related to termites and cockroaches. All mantises are predatory and will eat anything they can catch…including one another. Cannibalism is common among mantises, especially during the mating season. Though headless, this male is still moving. The male’s head is not actually necessary for reproduction as control of reproductive movement is controlled by a small nerve bundle in the abdomen. Males who are cannibalized may actually have a better chance of reproductive success, as headless males copulate longer and with heightened libito. Most mantises can fly and the males of many species are adept at flying after dark in pursuit of hungry females.
From the original archive
First published on softypapa.wordpress.com on January 13, 2012. Original text, photographs, links, and embedded media preserved.
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